The last few weeks have been CRAZY! I accepted a job for City of Subiaco knowing that the time I had to complete the project was very short. I have created a huge open book based on the the story 'Twas the night before Christmas' It took a lot of hours but the finished project is really quite magical - if I do say so myself! If you manage to get up to Subiaco between now and the 6th January, go and have a look. The trail starts at 177 Rokeby Road (mine)... If you take a photo up there and hashtag it #Subiacochristmas you are in the running to win a flight centre voucher for $500... not too shabby!

And so, project complete, I now have a couple of weeks to tie up loose ends, sort out my studio and get some applications in. Next year is already starting to be a bit full. I am running a paper mache workshop in Jan through till March, wearable art needs to be complete by February for photos and in July I am joining two other artists for an exhibition down at CASM, Mandurah. My head is spinning. I am aiming to make around 10 pieces using materials and techniques I have used on my previous wearable art pieces. Talking of wearable art, after spending around 60 hours on the headpiece, the rest is covered in a sheet - lol. I cannot bear to look at it right now and am leaving it until the new year. Until then, Merry Christmas to you all and I am wishing you all a safe, happy, sparkly 2019

Over the week of 1st Oct to 5th Oct I ran a 'Giant heads' workshop for children on their school holidays. 3 hours per afternoon for 5 days. Chaos, fun, glue, mess, inspiration, creativity... We all started by blowing up a huge 'punch balloon' These were covered with many ripped up strips of newspaper coated in watered down PVA glue. These children totally blew me away with their end designs/pieces... Some of them who finished a little early made extra props. Oh my.. SUCH GREAT FUN!!!!! A big thank you to my partner in vcrime Carol Clitheroe and a huge thank you to Rockingham City Council for accepting my proposal. Have a look at the 16 heads created!!! Just amazing

Yesterday was the last day of the 4 day long Schools UpCycle competion run by Rockingham Council. Curated by a lovely lady, Barb Green, the Art Centre came alive with colourful giant pieces of art made by local Primary and High schools. So vibrant and very clever use of recycled materials. I worked with 5 schools over the last term and they all created unique thought provoking pieces. This is another artist/teacher, Simon Miskin and i helping to install 'A garden without a native is a desert'​ by Rockingham Lakes PS.

I have a violin in an auction for a local Primary School. 70 Violins for 70 years. The school is celebrating its 70th year anniversary. They had 70 violin bases made that were then given out to local and international artists. These will be auctioned off next month. Have a look at the tag #70violins on Instagram.

​ I also have a small painting on an envelope at the OXO building in London. Over 300 painted envelopes raising money for 'The National Brain Appeal' The online auction can be viewed from 27th September...https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/​Oh and I have also started working on my wearable art piece for Mandurah 2019.. 60 hours so far on the headpiece and i LOVE it!!! That is all for now... :)

Saturday evening, 6.30pm, the Showcase for Wearable Art Mandurah. The show was a complete sellout and very different to last year. Bernie Bernard the Director did an amazing job to put together a show of over 40 outfits. Each piece so individual with its own story. Put together with amazing dancers, lighting, choreography, prose, it was a total colourful feast. And to top it all off, I won... like REALLY won.. yes I did. I am the 'Wearable Art Mandurah Artist of the year' which in itself is a huge mouthful but WOW.. such an amazing surprise. I am still floating up in the air. The categories have also been announced for next year and yes, I have a total completed garment - in my head!! The categories are 'Movement', 'Avant Garde' and 'Land Down Under'.... So many images and techniques come to mind. Some amazing photos have sprung up from the showcase taken by the amazing eyes of Stephen Heath Photography and Tony Tropiano...

for his amazing eye for detail, professionalism and all round enthusiasm... The photos of every amazing piece are incredible.

Tash (my model) did an amazing job. I create a wearable piece but she totally brings it to life, she is the soul of Sky and Water lll. Sky and Water lll based on the Escher print, was made from sheets of aluminium printing plate, hand cut, embossed, drilled and rivetted. Also strips of rubber innertube that were sewn onto a collar to look like feathers and paper mache birds flying around the headpiece.

Yesterday afternoon, another little impromptu fashion shoot with Stephen, on location in various beautiful areas around Mandurah. I took a couple of shots with my phone, which is not a very good phone. My photos were quite beautiful, so when the professional ones appear it will be quite spectacular.

The metallic piece, using 50+ Kmart placemats that I created with Julie (Unbeaten) is currently on display in the Tourist Info Centre down in Mandurah. Sky and Water lll will be in an exhibition up in Parmelia House, Perth from next friday until 1st June. 9th June is the showcase.. there are still some tickets left for the Saturday night show which is guaranteed to be a musical, visual feast. Tickets can be purchased through MPAC Box Office. Read more about WAM here: www.wearableartmandurah.com​My next job is to apply for a 'Made on the left' market stall, and 4 schools every week next term to make Castaways Sculptures... more on that to come. Until then here are some photos :)

Was just sitting in my happy place painting and thinking about the next few weeks and realised I hadn't blogged for a looong time, since Wearable Art last year in fact and here we are about to start that crazy ride all over again! It is a funny time of year for me with 'official jobs' and my own work all becoming a little busy. So, here is where I am... A job was advertised last November for a courtyard mural to be painted out the front of the Rockingham Art Centre. I designed, I applied and was succesful. So, in February, myself and 3 artist friends spent two weeks on our hands and knees painting a huge area in a large black and white vortex. The brief wanted something bright and eyecatching, contemporary, trompe l'oeil, something that would draw people in. I drew up a black and white vortex with stripes along the footpath. This was a mammoth job. Constantly up against the wind blowing leaves and dirt across the wet paint. Rockingham was also hit by a storm halfway through the first week, bringing down a tree and pulling up paving.. eek! We covered around 400 sqm with a two part sticky, smelly paint. Each segment had to dry before another coat could be applied. It was a hot tricky job but such fun!! Some photos below, Hope to have some taken from a drone very soon...

... Now that the mural has finished I can get back into my Wearable Art, paintings and Castaways - both schools and a piece that I am designing...

Wearable Art Judging Day is running towards me at breakneck speed. In 3 weeks, my beautiful model, Tash will be wearing my 2018 entry in front of the judges. This year the categories are metallic, transformation and avant gard...

Here we are nearing the end of July. My year so far has been very hectic. The last two weeks have been school holidays. My husband has been away with work and I have spent time with my two boys. It has been a good break, time to breathe and 'take stock' before it all ramps up again next term!

My job and creative path is a very crazy and strange one! I have to find opportunities. This term I am designing a mural with a high school. They are designing and making the foreground on ply and I am painting the background. Could be interesting. Castaways is on at the end of October and although I have finished in 4 of my 5 schools I still have some hours to make up at Malibu which is a school for children with special needs. It has been a rewarding challenge so far.

I have some art on the back burner including the childrens book that I wrote several years ago that keeps popping up when in my shed. It is destined to come back out and be worked on a little more. Maybe one day...! Some Christmas markets are also looming. So designing, making and creating is on the cards.

Wearable Art Exhibition starts on 5th August within both CASM and MPAC in Mandurah which is guaranteed to be a fantastic feast for the eyes.... I am knee deep in sketches and experiments already for next year....

So that is me in a nutshell... one crazy term behind and one looming in front! Until next time X

WOW - What an amazing weekend. My dress for WAM - Wearable Art Mandurah took out a major award on Saturday night. Creative re-use - Reuse discarded objects or material to create a product of higher quality or value than the original. Requires a minimum of 80% repurposed materials. The showcase from beginning to end was a magical journey. Lighting, amazing costumes, music... a complete sensory delight. I just love to view the outfits and guess the materials. It inspires me to create and push myself. Barb Thoms at City of Mandurah is a most amazing lady with a calm exterior. WAM is her 'baby'. She nurtures, encourages and hands out amazing opportunities. To Barb, I say thank you. I have been so very fortunate this year to have had my 'Fish' featured at AGWA, on Today Tonight, front cover of the Kwinana Courier, Billboard advertising on Mandurah Road and also whole page adverts in the local newspapers. To wrap all of that up, an amazing surprise of the front cover of the WAM brochure. Although I created my Fish, the amazing models and dancers bring it to life. I have been so very lucky to have had 5 amazing people wear my fish. The amazing Tash at DTX - who danced her socks off in my 2016 outfit last year. She works tirelessly, she shares my vision and wears without complaint! Tash wore my Fish at AGWA. Jess the amazing 14 year old who wore my Fish on judging day in April and whose face is now appearing all over Mandurah! She was 'fierce'.. stunning. Ashleigh who flittered around the stage over the weekend dancing and gliding, Steph another young model who spun around on Today Tonight and finally Emilie from DTX who wore my fish after the showcase yesterday, and was poked, stroked and prodded by a group of visually impaired people but stood patiently and answered questions in a professional manner. To all of those gorgeous girlies I want to say a huuuuuge thank you.​

So now, back to normal and back to another working week and in the back of my mind there is a little creative seed that is bubbling and fizzing with ideas for my next wearable art piece. I have 4 ideas scribbled down but none of them are 'the one'... that moment will come but for now I have 5 schools and art pieces to work on/with, a mural to design and today 3 artists and myself find out if we have been selected to interview for a huge installation project.. all very exciting... :) Till next time....... X

WOW... My emotions are in a spin... I have just returned from Mandurah. My dress 'A fish out of water' was chosen by Today Tonight to be filmed for a little piece they are doing on Wearable Art Mandurah. I was so thrilled and excited to get the phonecall - who wouldn't be? However... my head went into overdrive and PANIC!!! I love to create, I have ideas swarming around my head constantly.. like the computer on with 20 working tabs! but put me in front of people, cameras etc then I shrivel up... think rabbit in headlights. I also like to be in control of my situations and so being put into hair and makeup (I own 1 eyeshadow and 1 mascara that is a couple of years old) and then in front of a camera and expect me to talk..AAAAGH!! Anyhow what an amazing opportunity, I am just proud of myself for getting through it! I need to start working anonymously like Banksy! So, the Today Tonight feature will be on next week in WA...

Moving on... This week marks the end of a Mural contest between local Rockingham schools. I alongside another artist, Bec Inwood, worked in schools to promote the message 'Happy looks good on you' Two of my schools won, Makybe Rise and Montessori and it gave the students an opportunity to come along and have a go at painting on a wall! Bec worked with Makybe and I helped Montessori. So over a couple of days I drew up the outline onto a 6m x 2m wall at Rockingham PCYC then filled it in with some of the students.... The code in the middle reads 'happy looks good on you' in 'Pig Pen' code.. go look that one up!

So now the murals are finished I can get my head back into the Upcycle project that I am assisting as an artist in residence. I have 5 schools this year all making a sculpture for Castaways... We have a net of fish, a triffid, a huge bottle, a tuart tree and a dung beetle and ball... all very exciting stuff and all the students are creating like mad. It is a great one to be involved in.

And lastly, if I have convinced you into buying tickets for the amazing Wearable Art Mandurah showcase and you live in WA... you can buy tickets here..​ Think tickets start at around $34 which is a total bargain for such an incredible show. Till next time :)

It is now April... where is the year going? It gets quite depressing as you get older to watch time slipping away. I have been filling my hours with manic creativity though! Two weeks ago my friend Ruth and I participated in Town of Claremonts ARTTRA2017 - Art Contained. Our concept was a large cardboard diorama installed into a 3m cubed metal container. You can see some photos here:

WLast weekend was 'judging day' for Wearable Art, Mandurah. So Friday night I finished glue gunning everything that wasn't stuck down and packed my Angler Fish called 'A fish out of water' costume into my car. I decided to make a fish out of the one material that is wiping out our sealife - plastic. A skirt, fins, neckpiece, 'light' and hat all made from handcut milk bottle scales and ironed and fused sheets of milk bottle plastic. I had also purchased a morphsuit to be worn underneath and cut out the face. Actually wearing the black suit underneath really pulled the whole outfit together. I had a glimpse at some of the other entries - wow.....

So now I wait to find out in two weeks whether i made it through to the showcase - which is in June at MANPAC. The wearable art journey is one which I enjoy greatly. It is a totally different ball game to make a sculpture that fits a body and throws up several challenges. This years piece has similarities with last year, both using plastic. I also based both pieces on old corsets which I bought very cheaply. But I have a different love for my outfit this year and I guess the fact it has a face gives it its own personality! When I receive the professional photos from judging day I shall pop them onto my wearable art page. I already have 4 designs sketched up ready for next year!!! For now I will enjoy the school holidays with my family as next term is a crazy one for me. I have 6 schools to work with on their upcycled castaway projects... Happy Easter to you all :)